The advance of the fire, driven by gusts of up to 50 km/h, forced the evacuation of the establishments La Laja, El Navasillo, and the petrol station of La Ventilla. The Ronda City Council has set up the San Francisco Civic Centre for the evacuees.
The forest fire declared in Igualeja has necessitated the evacuation of several establishments located along the road connecting Ronda with the Costa del Sol. Among those evacuated are the shops La Laja and El Navasillo, as well as the petrol station of La Ventilla, as reported by Diario Sur.
The owner of El Navasillo, Salvador Gil, recounts that he had to leave the business along with several workers, unsure of how far the flames would reach. "We are affected, we are not well. We didn’t know what was going to happen, if everything was going to burn," he explains.
The situation worsened after the fire crossed the Parauta road and continued advancing, driven by wind gusts of up to 50 kilometres per hour. The firefighting team moved its advanced command post to the camping site of Venta del Pastoreo.
Gil recalls that the fire was approaching from behind while they remained alert to every change in its trajectory. "The fire came from behind and they were telling us we had to leave," he notes. Several employees were present at the establishment, and the command post of Infoca had previously been located nearby but was moved due to the advancing flames.
The evacuation ensured the safety of the workers, but it opened hours of waiting marked by the inability to check on what was happening with their properties. "It’s about having faith that nothing will happen to you. Uncertainty, your heart in your throat, and praying a lot. You can’t do anything else," he summarises.
The proximity of the fire was significant. According to Gil, Infoca teams acted with water in the vicinity, and the state of the land, with less underbrush around the establishments, helped prevent the flames from directly entering the shops. "It got close, but Infoca was there, they sprayed water, and since it’s cleaner of underbrush, the fire didn’t reach the shops," he indicates.
"Until you go there, you won’t know if your house burned or not"
The immediate danger has passed for him, although the concern continues. The inability to return while restrictions remain prevents knowing exactly how far the damage to properties in the area has reached. "Until you go there, you won’t know if your house burned or not," he explains.
Gil is now in Ronda after having to leave the area in a hurry. He hopes to return when the fire's progression allows access to be reopened, but he acknowledges that uncertainty will continue until then. "I don’t know what we will find tomorrow when the road opens," he assures.
The Ronda City Council has set up the Civic Centre in the San Francisco neighbourhood to assist evacuees who need to use these facilities while they cannot return to the affected area. For now, the Minister of Health, Presidency and Emergencies, Antonio Sanz, has stated that he is not aware of any evacuees needing assistance at this facility.
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